JPH08299242A - Tableware washing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an integrated recycling system for dishwashing apparatus to recycle water therethrough at an advantageous cost for manufacture. SOLUTION: A main system 10 has an impeller 40 positioned within a sump of the dishwashing apparatus 32, an impeller housing provided around this impeller, and a motor for rotating the impeller, whereby water is pumped up from the sump and supplied to a spray means. The impeller housing is a simple arcuate-shaped member, being formed from a sheet material that is cut to the specified length and wound around the impeller to define a peripheral wall of the impeller housing which is open on opposite side. One side of the sheet material is retained on the inner side wall of the housing, closing the impeller housing at the position of the inner side wall. The other side of the sheet material is closed by a plate retained by the strip of the sheet material, the plate is connected to the strip of the sheet material and provided with a penetrating hole, and water in the sump is transferred into the impeller housing through the penetrating hole by rotation of the impeller.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a commercial dishwashing apparatus, and more specifically to a dishwashing apparatus having an integrally formed recycling system for circulating water through the dishwashing apparatus main body. It is a thing.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Commercial dishwashers include a wash tub in which spray water is arranged such that wash water and rinse water are sprayed onto a cupboard within the wash tub. It has a unit. The dishwashing device is a single-stage type unit that holds dishes to be washed in a washing tank during washing and rinsing, or a multistage type in which dishes are moved by a transfer device through the unit. There is a unit. Traditionally, commercial dishwashers have upper and lower wash spray units and upper and lower rinse spray units configured to ensure positive spray from the top and bottom of the dishes during the wash and rinse cycle. Generally, at least cleaning water supplied to the upper and lower cleaning spray units is supplied to a dishwashing apparatus by a circulation system, and the circulation system includes a pump that draws the cleaning water from the water tank and supplies the cleaning water to the upper and lower spray units. The wash water is returned to the water tank through an appropriate filter and is recycled.

There are mainly two methods for recirculating the wash water of the dishwasher, one is an external pump system and the other is an internal pump system.
In the external pump system, a pump motor and an impeller are housed in a pump housing to form a pump device, which is attached to the outside of the water tank. The inlet of the pump device is connected to the outlet of the water tank through a filter, so that the wash water can be drawn from the water tank and discharged to the upper and lower washing water sprays of the dishwasher. On the other hand, in an internal pump system, the pump motor is located outside the aquarium, while the impeller and pump housing are located within the aquarium of the dishwasher. When the impeller is rotated by the pump motor, the water from the water tank is drawn out to the pump housing and discharged to the upper and lower cleaning spray units.

[0004]

A major deficiency of the external and internal pump systems described above is the need to form a complex pump housing to fit inside or outside the housing of the cleaning device. Such a requirement results in an increase in manufacturing cost of the pump device.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an integrated recirculation system for a dishwasher that recirculates water through the dishwasher. The integrated recirculation system includes an impeller arranged in the water tank of the cleaning device, an impeller shield or housing provided around the impeller, and a motor for rotating the impeller. As a result, the water is sucked up from the water tank and supplied to the spray means. The impeller housing is a simple arc-shaped member, and a metal sheet is cut into a predetermined length and wrapped around the impeller to define a peripheral wall of the impeller housing, and the other end is open. One side of the metal sheet piece is held by the inner wall of the water tank, and the impeller housing at that position is closed. The other side of the metal sheet is closed by an end plate held by the metal sheet piece, and this end plate is connected to the metal sheet piece and has a through hole, through which the water in the water tank is Are fed into the impeller housing by the rotation of the impeller. In the present invention, by placing the impeller in the aquarium of the dishwasher and by installing the impeller in a housing of simple construction, it is efficient under pressure against the top and bottom spray devices of the dishwasher. Can achieve water flow.

The impeller housing of the recirculation system according to the present invention is extremely easy to manufacture and is very economical. The impeller housing replaces the casting and mechanical forming of the pump housing, which was essential in conventional pump assemblies, and is simpler, cheaper, and more efficient. The cost of manufacturing the housing is very low, and a complex pump impeller housing for internally or externally mounted pump assemblies can be dispensed with altogether. As a result, a significant reduction in manufacturing cost per unit can be achieved as compared with the conventional internal and external pump systems.

The present invention has a novel structure as described in detail below, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. is there.

[0008]

1 and 2 show a dishwasher 10 with an integrated recirculation system 12 according to the present invention. The dishwasher may be a single-stage unit that keeps the cupboard to be washed in the wash chamber before the rinse, and during the wash and final rinse cycles, or transports the dishes. It may be a multi-stage unit configured to move by means. The integrated recirculation system 12 recirculates at least wash water through the wash device during the wash cycle.

The dishwashing apparatus 10 is provided with a pair of upright members 14 and 16 for holding a partition member 17 on the floor. The partition member 17 has a washing chamber 21, a water tank 32 and a motor chamber inside the dish washing device. 34 and 34. Partition member 17
Has a top wall 18, a rear wall 19 and a bottom wall 20, which together with the sides 14, 16 define a washing chamber 21, which is partly closed by the bottom wall 20. An upper spray assembly 22 having an upper cleaning spray arm 23 is disposed above the cleaning chamber 21. A lower spray assembly 24 having a lower cleaning spray arm 25 is disposed below the cleaning chamber 21. A recirculation system 12 supplies wash water to the upper and lower wash spray arms.

The lower portion of the partition member 17 includes a front wall 26, a rear wall 27, side walls 28 and 29, and a bottom wall 30.
These walls define an aquarium 32, the upper end of which is partly closed by the bottom wall 20. The upper end of the water tank 32 communicates with the bottom of the cleaning chamber 21, whereby the cleaning water discharged from the upper spray assembly 22 and the lower spray assembly 24 returns to the water tank 32 and is recirculated during the cleaning process. 12 to be returned to the upper and lower spray assemblies 22,24. The wash water discharged from the upper and lower spray assemblies is returned to the water tank 32 through a suitable filter (not shown) in the same manner as in the conventional case. Another part of the partition 17 defines a motor chamber 34 at the bottom thereof and houses a pump motor 36. A pump motor 36 is mounted on the outer surface of the side wall 28 of the water tank 32 by a suitable method, and a rotary shaft 38 of the motor projects through a hole of the side wall 28 and is sealed by a seal member 39. The upright members 14 and 16 on the side portions and the upper and lower portions of the partition wall 17 are made of steel or other solid metal as is conventionally done.

Inside the cleaning chamber 21, upper and lower cleaning arm groups are attached so that cleaning water can be sprayed from above and below when a cupboard (not shown) is at a predetermined cleaning position. The water pressure of the wash water delivered during the wash operation and the spray pattern are sufficient to remove dirt from all parts of the tableware on the shelves. Generally, the temperature of the wash water is 73
℃ (140 ° F). The final rinse spray is delivered from nozzles (not shown) located above and below the upper and lower cleaning spray arms.

At least the wash water supplied to the upper and lower wash spray arms 23, 26 is recirculated through the dishwasher 10 by the integrated recirculation system 12 of the present invention. The recirculation system 12 has an impeller 40 located within a shield or housing 42 and is driven by a pump motor 36. The housing 42 is attached to the lower wall 20 and the side wall 28 of the partition wall 17.

The impeller housing 42 has a piece of metal sheet 43 that is 2-3 inches (5-7 cm) wide, which is cut to length and wrapped around the impeller 40. The metal sheet piece 43 forms the peripheral wall of the impeller housing, one side 44 of which is closed by the side wall 28 and the other side 46 of which is closed by a side plate 47. The side plate 47 has a circular hole 48, through which the washing water in the water tank 32 is sent to the impeller housing 42 by the impeller 40 when the impeller 40 is rotated by the pump motor 36. It has become. The hole 48 is approximately 5 to 8 cm (2
.About.3 inches) and is concentrically arranged with the motor shaft 38 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. The impeller housing 42 is substantially circular and has a first portion with a top that is smaller in diameter than the bottom, which defines a diverging flow channel around the impeller 40 and through a converging throat 50. It merges with the outlet portion 51 of the housing 42, which is a straight portion of the metal sheet that protrudes through a hole 58 in the bottom wall 20 of the partition member, said hole 58 being the interior of the impeller housing and the wash water pipe 52. And communicate with. Wash water pipe 52
Has a portion 54 connecting the outlet of the impeller and the lower cleaning spray arm 25, and a portion 55, 56 connecting the outlet of the impeller and the upper cleaning spray arm 23. Varying the gap between the peripheral edge of the impeller 40 and the side wall 43 of the impeller housing portion 49 increases the distance from the top of the housing to the bottom that merges with the throat 50. As a result, the cleaning water circulating in the impeller is forcibly sent to the contracted throat, increasing the speed of the cleaning water discharged through the outlet of the impeller housing 42, and moving the cleaning water upward. To the cleaning water pipe, and the cleaning water is supplied to the upper and lower cleaning spray arms via this pipe.

The impeller housing 4 is attached to the dishwasher 10.
Impeller 40 provided in the water tank 32 for attaching 2
First, the position of is determined so as to be suitable. Then
A piece of metal sheet 43 is wrapped around a predetermined position of the impeller and attached to the side wall 28 to form a peripheral wall of the housing within the aquarium. The throat of the metal sheet piece 43 is joined to the bottom wall 20 of the partition wall 17 at the opening 58. The perforated side plate 47 is then held by the metal sheet piece 43, which completes the impeller housing.

The impeller 40 is a disk-shaped member 60, and has a center mounting hub 61 having a plurality of arcuate blades 62 spaced apart from the periphery of the disk at equal intervals. In an embodiment of the invention, the impeller has eight vanes, each curved radially outward from the hub of the disc member 60 to the peripheral edge. Pump motor 3
6 shows the impeller 40 in the impeller housing 42.
As described above, the blade 62 rotates counterclockwise, and at this time, the blade 62 presents a concave surface in the rotation direction. Pump motor 3
When the impeller 40 is rotated at 6, the blades 62 scoop water and move through the impeller housing to the inlet hole 48.
And is transferred to the periphery of the impeller 40 and is guided to the throat 50. From the throat of the impeller housing 42, the water is moved upwards and in the direction of the arrow 63 into the wash water pipe 51, in which case some of the water passes through the portion 54 in the direction of the arrow and the lower wash It is sent to the spray arm and the remaining water is transferred via the parts 55 and 56 in the direction of the arrow to the upper cleaning spray arm. The transfer capacity of the pump is on the order of 140-250 gallons (560 liters-950 liters / minute).

Tests have shown that the integrated recirculation system 12 according to the present invention provides a pump assembly with a cast pump housing regardless of where the cast pump housing is located. It is effective as a body.

Thus, the present invention can provide an integrated recirculation system for a dishwasher. The recirculation system comprises an impeller 40 mounted within a low cost impeller housing 42, said impeller housing having a metal sheet strip 43 wrapped around the impeller to form a peripheral wall of the impeller housing. One side of the housing is closed by a side wall of the device in which the pump motor 36 is mounted, and the other side is closed by a side plate having a hole serving as an inlet for supplying water to the housing. The housing encloses the impeller, and when the blades scoop the water, the water is guided in a generally spiral passage, sufficiently increasing its speed to allow the water to move up and down the spray assembly 22,2.
4 to facilitate the pumping action required to be delivered to Forming the impeller housing 42 from a suitably shaped piece of metal sheet 43 reduces the need to machine or cast complex impeller housings for pump systems.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

[0019]

According to the present invention, by placing the impeller in the aquarium of the dishwasher, and by installing the impeller in the housing having a simple structure, the upper and lower spray devices of the dishwasher are under pressure. Can achieve efficient water flow.

The impeller housing of the recirculation system according to the present invention is extremely easy to manufacture and is very economical. The impeller housing replaces the casting and mechanical forming of the pump housing, which was essential in conventional pump assemblies, and is simpler, cheaper, and more efficient. This housing is extremely cheap,
Complicated pump impeller housings for internally or externally mounted pump assemblies can be dispensed with altogether. This can result in a significant cost savings over conventional internal and external pump systems.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a dishwasher having an integrated recirculation system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the flow of water through the cleaning device as a result of operating the integrated recirculation system of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Dishwasher 12 Recirculation system 14, 16 Side erecting member 17 Partition 21 Cleaning room 22 Upper spray assembly 23 Spray arm 24 Lower spray assembly 32 Water tank 36 Pump motor 40 Impeller 42 Impeller housing 43 Metal sheet piece

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. A washing chamber, a spray means for spraying water in the washing chamber, a water tank for storing water for the spray means, and an integrated recirculation system for supplying water from the water tank to the spray means. In the provided dishwasher, the integrated recirculation system has an impeller arranged in the water tank, and an impeller housing arranged in the water tank so as to surround the impeller, and the impeller housing is An inlet through which water in the water tank is sent to the impeller housing by the operation of the impeller, and an outlet communicating with the spraying means. The impeller housing includes a first and a second opposed to the impeller housing. The means for forming a peripheral wall having an open side and the means for closing a first side of the peripheral wall. Is mounted on the wall of the aquarium, whereby the second side of the peripheral wall is closed by the wall of the aquarium, and a drive shaft for coupling with the impeller is further provided. And a drive motor for rotating the impeller in the impeller housing, and a dishwasher having an integrated recirculation system. 2. The dishwashing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for forming the peripheral wall includes a metal sheet piece around which the impeller is wound. 3. The impeller is circular in shape and has a peripheral edge, and the peripheral wall of the impeller housing has a curved portion that converges and converges around the impeller and away from the peripheral edge. And a throat portion to increase the distance between the curved portion and the peripheral end portion in the rotation direction of the impeller to form a water flow path that diffuses around the impeller. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the dishwasher is adapted to be merged with the outlet of the impeller housing through the converging throat. 4. The outlet of the impeller housing is formed by a substantially straight wall portion of the peripheral wall, the straight wall portion protruding through a hole provided in the wall of the aquarium, and the inside of the impeller housing. The dishwashing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the dishwashing apparatus is in communication with the spray means. 5. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the means for closing the first side of the peripheral wall comprises a hole defining the inlet of the impeller housing. 6. The dishwasher of claim 5, wherein the inlet forming the hole is circular and is approximately 8 cm (3 inches) in shape. 7. A dishwasher as claimed in claim 5, wherein the hole defining the inlet is concentric with the drive shaft of the drive motor. 8. The dishwashing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the metal sheet piece is wound around the impeller after the impeller is arranged in the water tank and mounted on the drive shaft. 9. A cleaning chamber, a spray means for spraying water in the cleaning chamber, a water tank for storing water for the spray means, and an integrated recirculation system for supplying water from the water tank to the spray means. In the provided dishwasher, the integrated recirculation system has an impeller arranged in the water tank and an impeller housing arranged in the water tank, and the impeller housing communicates with the inside of the impeller housing. Through the inlet, the water in the water tank is transferred into the impeller housing by the operation of the impeller, the impeller housing has an outlet communicating with the spraying means, the impeller housing is A peripheral wall of the impeller housing having a metal sheet strip wrapped around it, the peripheral wall being a first wall. A side portion and a second side portion, the first side portion of the impeller housing is attached to a wall of the aquarium to enclose the first side portion of the impeller housing, and further the second side of the housing. A dishwasher comprising a plate surrounding the portion, the plate having an opening forming the inlet, and a drive motor having a drive shaft for rotating the impeller coupled to the impeller. apparatus. 10. The impeller is circular in shape and has a peripheral end portion, the peripheral wall of the impeller housing has a curved portion that partially surrounds the impeller, and the curved portion and the peripheral portion of the impeller. 10. The dishwashing device according to claim 9, wherein a gap between the end portion and the end portion is different along the peripheral end portion of the impeller. 11. The impeller is circular in shape and includes a peripheral edge, and the peripheral wall of the impeller housing includes a curved portion that projects around the impeller and away from the peripheral edge. The gap between the curved portion and the peripheral end portion increases in the rotation direction of the impeller to form a water channel that diffuses around the impeller,
10. The dishwasher of claim 9, wherein the water flow passage is united with the outlet of the impeller housing via a converging throat. 12. The outlet portion of the impeller housing is formed by a substantially straight wall portion of the peripheral wall, and the straight wall portion is connected to the inside of the impeller housing through a hole formed in the wall of the water tank. The dishwashing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the dishwashing apparatus is in communication with a spray means. 13. The opening is circular and has a diameter of about 8 cm (3
10. The dishwasher of claim 9 having a diameter of inch. 14. The dishwasher according to claim 13, wherein the opening is arranged concentrically with a drive shaft of the drive motor. 15. A washing chamber, a spray means for spraying water in the washing chamber, a water tank for storing water for the spray means, and an integrated recirculation system for supplying water from the water tank to the spray means. In the provided dishwasher, the integrated recirculation system is attached to the outside of the aquarium, and has a drive motor having a drive shaft protruding into the aquarium through a hole in a wall of the aquarium, and the inside of the aquarium. It has an impeller arranged and an impeller housing which is arranged in the water tank and surrounds the impeller, and the impeller housing has an opening to form an inlet into the impeller housing, and through this inlet The water in the water tank is sent to the impeller housing by the operation of the impeller, and the impeller housing communicates with the spray means. Has an outlet through which the water drawn out to the impeller housing is discharged and supplied to the spraying means, and the impeller housing is provided with a metal sheet piece. It is wrapped around to define a peripheral wall of the impeller housing and has a first side and a second side, said first side being retained by the wall of said aquarium and being The first side is closed and a plate member on a flat plate is attached to the second side to close the second side of the peripheral wall, and the flat plate upper plate member defines the inlet. A dishwasher having a hole formed therein and further comprising means for connecting the spray means and the outlet.